Marimekko and Stora Enso collaborate to create new, dynamic and renewable gift packaging

People are shopping online at a rate never before seen. As of September 2020, e-commerce sales increased 43% year over year, now reaching $60.4 billion in revenue, according to Adobe Analytics. As more people receive deliveries, consumers have become savvier with packaging solutions, developing a greater understanding of what makes an unboxing experience memorable. A curated unboxing experience is no longer a brand differentiator — it’s a must-have, according to BigCommerce. Aesthetics and customer experience aside, a recent study by California Polytechnic State University, in partnership with Pregis LLC, determined that a negative unboxing experience, such as one with excessive packaging, might hurt a company’s bottom line in the long run, particularly among Gen Z consumers. Here’s what you need to know:

Sealed Air Corporation announced a three-year partnership with Gastromotiva, a nonprofit organization based in Brazil that uses the power of gastronomy, food, and education to address social inequality, improve nutrition education, fight hunger, eliminate food waste, and create local jobs. Since 2006, Gastromotiva has served more than 500,000 meals, recovered more than 220,000 pounds of food and engaged more than 100,000 people worldwide in nutrition education. Sealed Air’s investment will empower Gastromotiva to achieve food security goals that align across three pillars: *Education: Sealed Air and Gastromotiva will co-create a global education module on sustainable packaging and food waste reduction for students to learn more about innovations that minimize food waste. *Workforce Development: Sealed Air and Gastromotiva will develop a system to connect low-income youth and other vulnerable populations with Gastromotiva partners for job opportunities and career development. *Expansion: Gastromotiva will standardize its educational methodology and develop an integrated educational platform for expansion to strategic locations in Brazil and Mexico, which will ensure vulnerable communities have access to the Gastromotiva network of NGOs and partners working to create a sustainable food system.

The Arctic Blue Gin package, featuring images of Northern Lights, has won a ScanStar 2020 award. Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, designed the Arctic Blue Gin package. It featured an impressive holographic design inspired by the Northern Lights and used MetsäBoard Pro FBB Bright lightweight folding boxboard. Metsä Board designed the package structure, the original graphics, and the embossing. The Northern Lights image was created by printing on top of Envirofoil®, a plastic-free, holographic metallisation effect designed by US-based paper converter, Hazen. It uses 1% of the aluminium of traditional foil laminates – making it both economical and environmentally friendly.